An important aspect of the present invention is the development of an untexturized protein product into a texturized protein product. Particularly, the present invention provides a product and method for taking an untexturized, paste-like, batter-like protein product with no visible grain or texture and converting it into a texturized, fibrous protein product with a definite shape having the consistency of cooked muscle meat.
The term texture describes a wide variety of physical properties of a food product. A product of acceptable texture is usually synonymous with the quality of a product. Texture has been defined as “the attribute of a substance resulting from a combination of physical properties and perceived by senses of touch, including kinaestheses and mouth feel, sight, and hearing. Texture, as defined by the International Organization of Standardization, is “all of the Theological and structural (geometric and surface) attributes of a food product perceptible by means of mechanical, tactual and, where appropriate, visual and auditory receptors.” The following terms have been used to describe product characteristics falling under the umbrella “texture”:
TABLE IABRIDGED LIST OF FOOD TEXTURE ADJECTIVESAdhesiveFleshyMushySoftBouncyFluffyOilySoggyBrittleFoamyPastySparklyBubblyFragilePlasticSplinteryChewyFull-bodiedPorousSpongyClingyGooeyPowderySpringyCoatingGrainyPuffyStickyCohesiveGrittyPulpyStringyCreamyGummyRichSyrupyCrispHardRoughTenderCrumblyHeavyRubberyThickCrustyHeterogeneousRunnyThinDenseJuicySandyTinglyDoughyLeanScratchyToughDryLightShortUniformElasticLimpSilkyViscousFattyLumpySlipperyWateryFirmMoistSliveryWaxyFlakyMouth coatingSmoothWiggly
Accelerated attention has been given to texture as it pertains to newer food substances including fabricated and imitation products, formed meat and fish products, where very serious efforts are made by processes to duplicate the properties of the original or other natural food substances. The use of non-traditional raw materials, synthetic flavors, fillers, and stretchers all tend to alter certain textural characteristics of the finished product. Frequently, the imitation of textural properties is of much greater difficulty in the replication of taste, odors, and colors. Numerous manipulative processes, including extrusion texturization, have been developed to simulate natural textural properties. The processes generally find it prudent to duplicate the properties of the original substances to the extent feasible technically and economically in order to promote early market acceptance. While texture has attributes related to appearance, it also has attributes related to touch and also mouth feel or interaction of food when it comes in contact with the mouth. Frequently, these sensory perceptions involved with chewing can relate to impressions of either desirability or undesirability.
Thus, textural terms include terms relating to the behavior of the material under stress or strain and include, for example, the following: firm, hard, soft, tough, tender, chewy, rubbery, elastic, plastic, sticky, adhesive, tacky, crispy, crunchy, etc. Secondly, texture terms may be related to the structure of the material: smooth, fine, powdery, chalky, lumpy, mealy, coarse, gritty, etc. Third, texture terms may relate to the shape and arrangement of structural elements, such as: flaky, fibrous, stringy, pulpy, cellular, crystalline, glassy, spongy, etc. Last, texture terms may relate to mouth feel characteristics, including: mouth feel, body, dry, moist, wet, watery, waxy, slimy, mushy, etc.
As used herein, “untexturized” and “texturized” describe the characteristics of the food product as set forth in Table II:
TABLE IIUntexturizedTexturizedCharacteristicCharacteristicBehavior ofstickyfirmMaterial undergooeychewyStress or StrainplasticStructure ofsmoothcoarseMaterialShape andgelatinousfibrousArrangement ofpulpycrustyStructural ElementspastyMouth Feelcreamymoistmushydrywith body
U.S. Pat. No. 3,934,050 (Hawkins, Jan. 20, 1976) is concerned with manufacturing from meat comminute a cooked meat product with a surface that is grained, resembling that of slices cut in the direction of the muscle fibers from cooked meat of good quality. A meat comminute is extruded through a slit; and the flat comminute-extrudate thus obtained is cooked between and in intimate contact with layers of absorber heat-stable paper, at least one of the layers having a grained surface which is in contact with the extrudate, so that when the layers are separated from the cooked product, the product is left with an exposed grained surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,402,987 (von Lersner et al., Sep. 6, 1983) relates to upgrading low quality cuts of meat by introducing insoluble animal protein materials into the tissue of the meat cuts. An aqueous dispersion of the insoluble animal protein is prepared. The final dispersion contains from 10-5-% solids by weight. A binder is employed with the dispersion. The binder sets sufficiently at cooking temperatures to reduce losses associated with cooking. The binder also stabilizers the insoluble meat particles.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,728,524 (Gagliardi, Jr., Mar. 1, 1988) relates to restructured meat products and methods of making such meat products from meat parts, preferably fresh meat parts, which are intended to be cooked after restructuring. More particularly, the reference relates to the production of restructured meat products without the necessity of additives such as salt, phosphates or enzymes.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,183,683 (Mott et al., Feb. 2, 1993) provides a process for producing a functional vegetable product for use with animal protein materials, in which a non-hydrated vegetable proteinaceous extract is blended under conditions of shear with a quantity of water insufficient for full hydration of the extract and with a frozen animal food product, preferably animal protein product, having a temperature sufficiently low to render it essentially rigid, to produce a granular product containing said vegetable proteinaceous extract and said animal food product.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,731,0129 (Karwowski et al., Mar. 24, 1998) relates to a method for making jerky products. Meat, either frozen or not, is comminuted and then heated to partially denature the protein. The meat is cooled to cause the fat present to solidify. A binding agent is added to form a dough. The dough may be sheeted, baked or dried The dough may include a filler such as soy concentrates or isolates.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,827,561 (Duve, Oct. 27, 1998) relates to a process for producing a food product based on meat, animal proteins or vegetable protein, by preparing an emulsion from base components by first comminuting and emulsifying the base components. In the next processing step, the emulsion is loaded into a stuffing device, from which the emulsion then exits in the form of a single strand or numerous parallel strands. The strands are cooked and then cut into shorter strips, deep frozen and then packaged.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,017,576 (Klossner et al., Jan. 25, 2000) is directed to a method for the treatment of untexturized protein materials to form texturized protein materials. An untexturized past-like, moisture carrying protein product is added to an apparatus having steam injectors. Heating the product by steam injection causes the product to become texturized.